More than two years after their October 2023 trip had to be postponed, members of Olney’s Shaare Tefila Congregation traveled to Israel to get a firsthand view of the country’s post-Oct. 7 state and to express support.
“This is our opportunity to take advantage of the cease-fire and show support for Israel,” said Rabbi Jonah Layman, who led the delegation on the trip from Dec. 7 to 18.
Layman organized the trip with Makor Educational Journeys to ensure that the experience allowed for learning. Many of the 30 attendees had previously been to Israel, so Layman wanted to facilitate a trip that was “more experiential than sightseeing,” he said.
The trip was designed for attendees to experience Israel’s “post-Oct. 7 resilience,” explore the cultural diversity, meet Israelis and participate in service volunteer activities. The delegation also visited tourist-friendly sites, including Jaffa, Tel Aviv’s arts scene, the Negev Desert and the holy city of Jerusalem.
“We learned much and experienced much,” said Bess Teller, a 79-year-old Brookeville resident who went on the trip. “Our itinerary was tailored and selected better than we could have done ourselves.”
“Particularly after Oct. 7, I wanted to do something personal to support and demonstrate solidarity with Israelis,” said Karin Leff, a 63-year-old Silver Spring resident. “This trip was special in that it wasn’t geared to first-timers; it was about better understanding the people of Israel, all types of the people who comprise the complicated, messy yet beautiful fabric of the country.”
The group traveled to the Gaza Envelope on Dec. 10 to visit a kibbutz that was attacked on Oct. 7. They heard from a survivor at the Nova festival site, where more than 375 people were killed, and saw vehicles that were destroyed that day at the Tekuma “car cemetery.”
“It was just a very, very moving day. To be at the Nova festival site is overwhelming and it’s hard to process,” said Layman, adding that the group recited Kaddish in the victims’ memory. “It was all emotionally overwhelming, but at the same time, necessary.”
They visited a memorial to Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, who were all kidnapped on Oct. 7 and murdered by Hamas. Located in southern Israel near Yarden Bibas’ home, the memorial opened in November.
“Crying at the car cemetery and the Bibas memorial with close friends helps and lets us be part of [the Israelis’] grief,” Teller said.
During a visit to a moshav, an Israeli agricultural settlement, participants heard from a local Oct. 7 survivor. “One of its residents explained how she and her family lived through the attacks,” Louis Paley, an 82-year-old Silver Spring resident on the trip, told Washington Jewish Week.
“These are just some of the things we’ve been doing to try to bring Israel to life for these people, who are very knowledgeable about what’s going on in Israel today, but to actually see firsthand what happened on Oct. 7, to see what Israel is dealing with,” Layman said.
On Dec. 14, the group drove to Gush Etzion in the West Bank to meet the founders of the Shorashim–Roots project. Palestinian peace activist Ali Abu Awwad and Rabbi Shaul Judelman led a grassroots dialogue and activism project with Palestinians and Israeli settlers.
“[Awwad and Judelman] work together on a grassroots level to try to break down barriers between the Jews and the Palestinians in the West Bank, to understand that everybody wants peace and to meet people one on one, to understand that these are real people,” Layman said.
The co-founders told the group that Roots had begun to build these proverbial bridges, but discussed “how difficult it’s been for them since Oct. 7 to continue the work they do,” said Layman.
“Since Oct. 7, their work has been involved with trying to reduce violence. [Judelman] told us how this week, they had been meeting with principals of Jewish high schools in the West Bank to figure out a way they can come into schools and talk about their work and try to encourage less violence.”
Afterward, participants spent the first night of Chanukah walking through Nachlaot, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Jerusalem. Layman recalled a coincidence that occurred outside a decades-old Sephardic synagogue.
“It turns out the grandson of that [synagogue’s] founder just was walking by while our tour guide was talking about that synagogue,” Layman said.
The grandson told them that his family had lived in Jerusalem for 22 generations, stretching back to around 1432, Layman said.
As the group shopped on Ben Yehuda Street and Machane Yehuda, Jerusalem’s open-air market, shopkeepers thanked them for traveling to Israel and supporting the local economy. “In some places, we were one of the first groups to visit after Oct. 7,” Leff noted.
More than bolstering the economy, the group had fun: “Shopping with girlfriends multiplies the giggles,” Teller said.
Layman, who spoke to Washington Jewish Week while still in Israel, said he’s already received positive feedback about the trip.
“Being here at this time, especially post-Oct. 7, while Israel is still trying to get back on its feet, has been a really meaningful experience for [attendees],” he said.
Leff said there were nearly too many highlights of the trip for her to recount.
“I will take back [to the States] the stories, kindness and resilience of the people we met during our planned meetings and chance encounters,” she said. “These experiences give me a better understanding of the resilience of the people who comprise this country and hope for Jews around the world.”
